Connection time needed at CDG

The obvious question is whether both flights are on the same ticket or not.

If they are, you are least protected if your inbound flight is delayed and you miss
the connection to Denver. In that case, AF should rebook on next available flight
and provide hotel/meals.

If there are delays getting through immigration at CDG, I would flag someone down
to try and get expedited, but hopefully exiting Schengen is quicker than entry.

If you absolutely have to make that flight, I would research whether AF's service allows
you to have priority at the immigration checkpoint. If not, I am not sure whether it's
worth it. And, if the inbound is delayed by 2 hours, do you get your money back since
it's futile to expedite a flight that has already departed?

The big problem with this kind of transfer is that domestic flights are often late -- y0u have no margin here for a late incoming flight. Monitor that flight and if it shows a worrisome pattern try to get them to change your connection to one more doable. Also go on the cDG web site and look at instructions for what you need to do for the particular terminals you have. It helps to hit the ground running. It is enough time BUT it depends on things going smoothly.

This perpetual question is one without an answer, at least not an answer that anyone here is really qualified to give. As long as this is a single PNR (and not a self-connection), Air France thinks you have time and Air France knows a lot more about connections at CDG than I do.

Are there any more flights to Denver that day from CDG? That would have me worried since I fly from/to an end of the line airport.

One question is 'does the airline take responsibility for delays caused by EES/immigration?' They sell these 'legal connections' so they should but does anyone know if they do or just say it isn't their problem if you can't get through immigration in time or you don't move fast enough to make this legal connection.

I remember reading about someone whose plane landed at say 2 pm but didn't not actually get a gate and disembark till 2:45 and the airline argued that with a 2 pm arrival it was their fault they missed the connection.

I remember reading about someone whose plane landed at say 2 pm but didn't not actually get a gate and disembark till 2:45 and the airline argued that with a 2 pm arrival it was their fault they missed the connection.

Airline schedules are established and tracked block to block, not airborne to touchdown. Flights start when they depart the gate, not when they become airborne, and end when they return to a gate, not at touchdown. Schedules include taxi estimates, both for departure and arrival, plus average en route flight times.

The only potential nuance would be if the flight terminated at a remote parking site, requiring bus transfer to the terminal. The time consumed for deplaning and terminal transfer would not be part of the scheduled time.

My flight would be on one ticket - all the way from PAU to Denver with that one connection in Paris. My son, who flies a lot for the military, told me that CDG is a huge airport and that he would allow 3 hours for a connection, even if it's on the same ticket. Then when I saw there is such a thing as a concierge transfer service (never used one of those before!) I thought I would investigate it. I will also be flying solo, so I will be navigating CDG by myself. I always appreciate hearing about others experiences - thank you for all of the replies!

I would not be concerned about the connection time unless you have time-critical activities in Denver once you land (which I hope you don't). CDG is large but generally well organized, and 90 minutes generally is ample IME. And if Air France doesn't get you to Denver within 3 hours of scheduled arrival, you're due substantial compensation. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm

Everyone has different priorities, but if I were you I'd go with the 90 minutes unless you have lounge access. Two-plus hours in an Air France lounge might make the layover pretty pleasant.

jphbucks is partially correct... if the delay is caused by an issue the airline could have
dealt with (i.e. not weather, acts of God, strikes, etc), then the EC261 conditions come into effect.
But getting the money from the airline often requires persistence.

I was due a substantial payout when AF substituted equipment and bumped us from a flight -- we had a brief trip to CERN with a private tour arranged by a friend to the underground research site -- luckily it was not the same day as our arrival from Paris, but the result of the bumping meant we were not able to do any of the activities planned for Geneva.

I was given instructions about receiving the compensation. It took about 6 interactions, queries etc to finally wrest it loose from them. They had all my information but somehow I needed to submit a pile of documentation in addition to that -- clearly they make it hard to get the compensation because they hope you will give up. Obviously if they had been interested in providing what was required they could have just reimbursed to the card I used to buy the tickets and document it. It was laughable but I did get the money.

I sweated about this 4 years ago when we had a 65 minute connection, arriving from Nice to CDG, then on to the US. It was a 90 minute connection when I booked the tickets (far in advance), but they changed the schedule. I wanted to switch to an earlier Nice flight, but they wouldn’t do it for the same price; I would have had to cancel the whole ticket and rebook at a much higher price. So I just hoped for the best. We landed on time, walked for about 20 minutes (signage was good), and boarded with about half an hour to spare. The fact that both flights were in France and on Air France helped; no change of terminal or passport control. BUT: that was before EES. Since CDG is your point of exit from the Schengen area, you will have to go through exit processing there. No idea how that’s going at CDG.